Akane's Revenge
by RanmaLove
Summary: REVISED. Akane is fed up with Ranma's constant verbal abuse. She is going to show him life without her by changing completely. What will Ranma do?
1. Ch1: Revenge

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½

Akane's revenge

-XxX-

"On December 7th, 1941, the day known as: 'Infamy' took place," Akane felt her eyelids droop as she struggled to keep herself awake. "During Pearl Harbor…" She couldn't control herself anymore. Sliding her chair back to make room, she stood up and turned her desk lamp off. She had been studying for this test for hours, and she was exhausted. Yawning, she dragged herself to bed and waited anxiously to slip into a state of unconsciousness. But her thoughts were fixed on Ranma. She really hoped he studied for this test; it would really help boost his grade. Glancing at the alarm clock on her desk, she realized it was two o'clock. She had less than three hours of sleep! She had to get some shut-eye now.

It was only moments later until Akane heard murmurs from outside of her window. At first she decided it was best to ignore it. But soon after she noticed that it was far too much of a distraction and decided that she needed to hurt or kill whatever creature was out there. She reached for the bokken next to her bed and stealthily walked toward the window. Peeking through her purple curtains, she spotted that it was just Ranma. What was he doing out so late? She almost called out to him before she noticed that he wasn't alone. Trying to focus on his companion, she realized smugly that it was Shampoo: one of his many suitors.

She decided to eavesdrop for a bit on their conversation. It obviously had to be important if she was visiting him so late rather than in the morning as usual. What if he was in trouble? Or what if it was some crazy enemy from China who was coming to destroy him and his friends? Pretty crazy, but when you live with Ranma for over two years, these things become natural. She sat on her windowsill and listened to the parts of the conversation she could hear. Thanks to her martial arts skill, she had very acute senses and was able to listen to all of it.

"So Shampoo," Ranma told her groggily. "What was it that was so important you had to drag me out of bed in the middle of the night to talk about?"

"Is very bad, Airen!" Shampoo told him, pacing back and forth in anxiety. "Time running out and now council members of Amazon village want Shampoo to kill Ranma soon!"

"What?" Ranma exclaimed, falling off of the pedestal outside behind the Dojo. All traces of sleep were no longer evident on his face. Not even the temperature bothered him whilst he was dressed in shorts and a simple tank top.

"Is rather I kill or marry Ranma!" Shampoo cried, breaking it down into simpler terms.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday great-grandmother gets call from important council! They explain to her about what to do or else Shampoo they kill!" Shampoo felt the tears persuading her eyes to unleash the dam she built. But she couldn't, she had to show Ranma she was strong.

Ranma was knee-high in quicksand, the news crashing down upon him and sinking him even deeper. "So what are you going to do?" Ranma asked, wondering just what it was that Shampoo had in mind. If he was involved, then it must mean bad new for the Tendo's.

"You care about, violent kitchen cook?" Shampoo asked him, stepping closer to him.

"You mean, Akane? No! If anything I would never want to marry someone like her. She's rude and violent, and is always trying to kill me with her toxic food! And did you notice how weak she is? She is such a disgrace to me, the best martial artist in the world!" He let it all roll out of his tongue, trying to make it obvious that Akane was the most disgusting person in the world.

"So you take Shampoo as real wife to save her from sudden death?"

Ranma paused. It was his responsibility, after all. It's not like he could just go on with his life knowing that Shampoo is always at risk. He would have to man up, whether he liked it or not. "Well if I have to…" He began, allowing the sentence to trail off. He was the one that defeated her so it was the proper thing to do. "I guess that I…"

"Airen," Shampoo cooed softly, stepping inches closer to his face. He felt his cheeks burn at the realization of what she was going to do, but he couldn't move. His limbs were paralyzed, forcing him to stay put. But she didn't kiss him, no not even remotely close. Instead, she clapped her hands together and smiled broadly at him. "I is only kidding!"

He waited for it to dawn on him, stood a few moments and waited. Finally when he could form legitimate words, he spoke. "What?" He was speaking calmly, waiting for the rest of his emotions to wake and burn inside of him.

"Shampoo is only kidding," she repeated for him, her eyes staring mirthfully at him. "Shampoo just wanted to know if does happen, you will marry her! Teach lesson to violent kitchen cook, spatula-girl, and crazy gymnastics girl." Her eyes quickly darted to the shaking purple curtains at Akane's room.

"Shampoo, are you crazy! Not only do you come to me in the middle of the night but also get me worried about nothing! And you know- what are you looking at?" It was obvious that Shampoo didn't want her to see, but his reflexes spoke otherwise. He stared at Akane's window to see a light turned off. _Was she awake all this time? _He gulped, this was not good. She must have heard everything he said to Shampoo. He counted the seconds he had to live until that mallet of hers struck him. Oddly, none came.

"Nice talk to you, Airen!" Shampoo wave good-bye to him and made her exit out of the front entrance for a shocking first time. This would surely teach Akane that _she _was the one and only fiancée. She felt butterflies as she replayed Ranma's 'almost' wedding proposal. She squealed in delight, he loved her after all. And with Akane out of the way, everything should just run smoothly. Skipping back to the Nekoten, she hummed every step of the way.

Ranma, on the other hand, decided he would try to explain things to Akane. If she got angry and yelled, then he would point out the fact that she shouldn't eavesdrop on another person's conversation. She should be asleep, not stalking him. Sliding open the Tendo's door, he slowly walked to approach her room.

Akane tried to wipe the tears away that streamed down her cheeks but it seemed impossible. How could Ranma do that? Almost marry Shampoo? Oh, was it really that shocking? She always knew Ranma preferred Shampoo over her, but he never made it _that _obvious! She felt like her heart was more than just broken, it felt like it dissolved into nothing more than dust; an empty useless organ occupying space in her body.

She curled up into a ball, attempting to make the pain go away. But it was of no use, every fiber of her being was disabled to do anything. So what did she need to do now? They lived together and went to school together, how could she avoid him? Or how could _he _avoid _her_? But was she really all that bad? Sure she couldn't cook or clean, but she didn't force Ranma into doing something he didn't want to do. Sure she may be aggressive and violent, but she was a martial artist! Plus, it was always him who started it. And sure, she may be clumsy but she always tried to do her best. Did Ranma really hate her?

She was so depressed, pulling the sheets over her and unleashing another wave of tears. According to Ryoga, Shinnosuke, and Kirin, they all seemed to enjoy her company. They never complained once about what she did, or never made her feel this… abandoned. So why should she care what Ranma thinks? In a split second, she yanked the sheets off of her and shot her fist in the air. "That's because I _don't _care!" Realizing how peculiar this must be, she went into bed again.

She _needed_ to teach Ranma a lesson. She _wanted_ to teach Ranma a lesson. He is always bickering to her about her 'feminine' issues and how he would be much more delighted if she was no longer in his life. Well, she was going to show him what life without her was like- by being the exact opposite. Then he would see.

_Knock, knock. _

"Who is it?" She asked, quite sure of whom it was.

"Uh, it's Ranma."

She wiped the remains of her tears and smiled. She would start right now. "Come in."

He opened the door and stepped a foot inside the known called 'death zone'. He fiddled with his fingers sheepishly, searching for the right words to start a conversation. "Hey, what you heard outside…"

She forced a smile at him, hoping he couldn't tell. "Oh, that? How about we just let bygones be bygones? That's what you always say, right?"

"Yeah," he felt a hint of anger in her voice, noticing the fact that she didn't state his name once. "I just hoped you weren't angry or anything."

"Me? Angry?" She put her hand to her chest, feigning hurt. "No, I am not upset. Shampoo sure is a cute one; I can understand why you can't help yourself. Did you study for the test tomorrow?" She changed the subject to avoid breaking Ranma into tiny bits.

"Thanks for understanding, Akane!" He smiled awkwardly at her. He was not use to Akane being so understanding and kind to him. "No, I didn't study for the test. Damn, I must have forgotten."

"Oh, well, I guess there's next time." She told him bluntly.

"Yeah, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for understanding; I never knew you could be cute. Since you're always yelling and throwing things at me, I guess you can be normal instead of annoying." He patted her on the back. Akane uppercut Ranma as he crashed through her roof and into the Koi pond.

Oh, well. She could always start tomorrow.

-XxX-

A/N: Heyy, I know I said I wouldn't be updating my regular stories, so I took some time to revise my old stories. For some reason, I am not pleased by the regular outcome. It seemed too annoying or unsatisfying. So I decided to redo this one, get my creative juices flowing. No worries, I have not forgotten about my other stories! They are coming real soon.

Sooooo, review and tell me what you think about this new revised addition! Don't be lazy, click that review button and tell me what you think!


	2. Ch2: Now You've Done It, Ranma!

Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own Ranma ½. Such a shame, ain't it?

Akane's Revenge.

-XxX-

The sun glimmered through Akane's curtains and paused on her face, forcing her eyelids to slowly lift and open. Akane sat up and stretched promptly before getting out of bed,. She tapped the 'snooze' button on her alarm and stifled a yawn. _Today's the day, _she told herself silently, folding her bedsheets and laying them neatly on her bed. She was going to do and be everything she wasn't. So what was that? Maybe more girly, weak, a flirt? She counted off all of the possibilities on her fingertips. She groaned inwardly, this was going to be a stressful day, but if it meant revenge on Ranma, she'd do it. She strolled out of her room and into the bathroom across her hall. Turning the faucet, she bent over and splashed cold water on face. _Ha, Ranma can't even enjoy this without turning into a girl_, she thought bitterly. She reached for her toothbrush perfunctorily and began brushing in mini circles. Rinsing and spitting, and glided her tongue over her teeth for a quick check.

Maybe she could do something with her hair, she noted absentmindedly in the mirror. Something attractive and different. Opening the cabinet, she pulled out a hot iron and began to curl the ends of her dark-blue hair. _One here, and there, and... _By the end, she completely approved. The neck-length hair fell in locks around her face, allowing her facial features to enhance in beauty.

Now all that was left was of her wardrobe. She slipped out of the bathroom and into her room stealthily and quickly. She didn't want anyone to see her until she was done. Opening her closet fully, she scanned all clothes up and down searching for the perfect dress. Yes, she was not going to wear the school uniform today. She didn't think Ms. Hinako would mind, seeing at the age of nine all you worry about is toys and junk food. Plus, Ranma never dressed in uniform so it _really _shouldn't be a problem. She threw tons of clothes on her bed, not one catching her eye. Suddenly, her sight caught a plastic bag at the corner of her closet. She bent down and retrieved the bag, noticing it was labeled, 'Nabiki'. She felt chills travel down her spine as she realized what she was about to do. Cautiously ripping the bag open, she faltered.

No bombs, no alarm, no nothing. She craned her neck over her shoulder but did not see or feel an icy aura entering her room. She shrugged, maybe she _was_ just being ridiculous. Her eyes fell upon the fabric stored away once more as she felt her breath fall short. In front of her was the most beautiful dress she's ever seen. It was a silky red dress that fell at her knees, making a wave pattern at the ends. The dress was strapless and at the hip there was a black belt, forcing her feminine curves to become more obvious. But what she loved most was the letter inside.

_Nabiki,_

_I know you are only so young now, but I know when you grow up you'll be so beautiful. Now, don't go thinking this is yours. When Akane has reached the age, I want you to do me this favor and give this to her. I hope she likes it._

_ -Mom_

Akane reread this letter over a few times. She hugged the dress closer to her body and smiled. "Mom," she whispered, glancing up at the ceiling. "I love it." _Now let's just see how it looks on me_. Akane slipped into the dress and admired herself in the mirror. Even if she didn't look as good as she thought she did, her mom had given this to her- and that was good enough. She reached into her purse and pulled out the make-up kit she had gotten for her 15th birthday. She had always thought beauty was natural, but she figured it would be okay for now. She dabbed on her labeled 'Go get him, girl!' lip gloss and smacked her lips together. Curling her luscious long lashes with mascara, she blinked a few times to see the effect. Each time, her eyes looked a little more flirtatious. Just what she was going for. Analyzing her face in the mirror, she put on red eye shadow and a teensy bit of powder. This would have to be all, anymore and she would feel like puking.

She opened her door and was ready to confront her family with 100% new attitude, but slightly felt herself falter. Maybe she was being too formal for school. She depicted and criticized any of her nagging doubts. _Oh well, this will have to do. _She picked her school bag off of the floor before realizing that brown didn't really go with her outfit. Taking her notebooks out, she decided to hand-carry them; it made her look more sophisticated that way. Inhaling, she gathered enough courage to meet her family. She walked downstairs and into the kitchen and smiled broadly. "Good morning." She chirped.

"Akane?"

"Oh, my."

"My little girl!"

Akane felt her cheeks grow hot as she listened to all the surprised comments her family had to say. "You look good, Akane." Nabiki told her, eying her dress from head to toe. It was obvious that Akane had found the dress she put away, and she was glad she did. She completed one last favor for her dead mother. She had put it away ages ago, though. What took her so long to find it?

"Thanks, Nabiki," Akane whispered to her once things had settled down. "Also, thank-you for keeping it safe for me." Akane flattened her lap as she took extra caution not to get a speck of food on it while eating breakfast.

Nabiki shrugged nonchalantly. "That favor was for free." Akane smiled in response and Nabiki looked away quickly. The last thing she wanted was Akane to see a hint of emotion evident on her face. She had to resume her poker face expression. "So what's with the change of... everything?"

At once the family became silent and tuned into her response. Akane blushed and scoured her brain for a reasonable answer. "I guess I'm tapping into my feminine side," She said at last. "Where's Ranma?" She asked, searching the table for her soon-to-be victim. _He _was the whole reason she was doing this in the first place.

The Tendos (and Genma) all nodded, getting the wrong idea that she was attempting to impress him. "Ranma is asleep, Akane," Genma answered for them. "How about you go and wake him up? He'll be late for school."

Akane shook her head. "No thanks, Mr. Saotome," She was afraid if Ranma saw her and commented negatively, she would lose her cool and blow her disguise before it even started. "I wish to finish my breakfast. How about you wake him up, Kasumi?" She asked her eldest sister.

"Sure, Akane. I don't see why not," Kasumi wiped her hands with the towel. "You look very nice, Akane." She told her, heading off to Ranma's room.

Akane waited for everyone to resume speaking before she turned to her father. "Dad? I want you to know that I do not want to be a martial artist anymore," She quickly added as an afterthought: "I know this might be shocking, since you raised me to love martial arts. But that part of my life is over. All I want to do is be what _you've _always wanted- a proper young girl."

Ranma entered the kitchen and went to join his to-be family at the dinner table when his sight caught on Akane. He felt his heart begin to race and his cheeks flush at what she was wearing. This was his uncute fiancée dressing like a...a...a girl! Plus, not 'like' a girl, more like a cute one! He didn't know what to say or do when their gazes locked. But he noticed her quickly turn away. He harrumphed and silently sat next to her, purposely giving her the silent treatment for yesterday.

"I guess this means I can't be Ranma's fiancée," Akane pointed out, gathering her notebooks from the table. "And dad, if you want to talk more about this then we can when I come home from school." She sat up and planted a quick kiss on her father's cheek. "Well, I'm off." Akane started to exit when she heard Ranma speak.

"Akane?"

Akane turned slowly and felt her heart break-if that was even possible-a little more while she locked eyes with her ex-fiancé. His blue eyes fixed on her and she caught a hint of pleading and apology in his eye."Yes, Ranma?" She felt her breaths fall short and her heart beat rapidly. This was it. This _was _it. Ranma was going to take a stand for her to remain as his fiancée! She watched the ends of his lips curve into a smile. She almost smiled back at him, but reminded herself that he was the enemy.

"Good luck! I mean, I can _easily_ find a fiancée to replace you in mere seconds! Heck, Shampoo and Ukyo have been waiting for your position for-"

"And what's my position Ranma?" She asked him, one foot in the doorway and the other out. It was almost as if she was doing the hokey pokey, she noted.

His voice got caught in his throat. What w_as _her position? Wasn't she his fiancée like Shampoo and Ukyo? They were all in the same boat. No one was ahead of anyone... right? "I don't know." He said at last. Wasn't that the truth? Akane was no better than any of his other suitors. So why was it that Shampoo and Ukyo were always hurting Akane to get to him? Why? Why? Why? He shook his head fiercely, shaking the thoughts away.

Akane nodded, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Alright, Ranma," she turned to the rest of the family who were watching with a surprised expressions on their face. "I'll be going now." She waited 'til the door was slid shut behind her that she hung her head low and followed the path that led to her school in utter silence. She wiped her tears before they were able to smudge her make-up and held the books closely to her body. _Just try to forget, Akane. Just try. _Akane thought silently.

_Just try._

-XxX-

A/N: Another update, woo-hoo. So about this chapter, I know a dress for school is kinda.. weird. But I'm trying to also had a symbolic meaning to the dress. [Hence that her mother gave it to her.] Anyways, the whole flirtatious thing is coming up next chapter! Ranma's little comment that made Akane cry was used to add some oil to the fire. So all the more reasons for Akane to get some of her revenge! Thanks for reading and stay tuned!


	3. Ch3: Bittersweet Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½

Akane's Revenge

**Chapter Three**

She could feel Ranma's presence behind her, but chose to pretend as if he wasn't there. The entire walk to school she kept silent, smiling at the locals and winking at a boy who whistled at her across the street. She heard Ranma growl at that, and acted as though she didn't see him glare at the stranger. Just as she planned, Ranma was getting some of his own medicine for once. But, he's seen nothing yet since the day had just begun.

That thought made her smile as she visualized his shocked expression in her mind; his befuddled actions as he tried to put two and two together as to why she was behaving as she was. Today's breakfast rekindled her ambition to torture him for everything he's done for her the last two years. Her wickedness surprised her quite a bit, but she realized it was the final accessory for her personality transformation. The cherry on top, almost.

_Time to put this great idea to action, Akane, _she told herself as Furinkan came into view. Quickening her speed, she approached the building quickly and caught a glimpse of the hundreds of students occupying the entrance. It was a great plan to get to school early, she congratulated herself, seeing that the more of an audience she had, the better. She silently took a deep breath, preparing herself for the thousands of perverted comments she was to receive, the thousands she _couldn't _pummel in the face. One last time she replayed Ranma's scene with Shampoo and instantly felt rejuvenated.

"Good morning everyone!" She spoke loudly at the entrance so the whole population of students could hear her as she waved energetically at the crowd. "How is everyone?"

Hundreds of eyes locked on her body and for a moment she had to remind herself she wasn't nude because of the way they were gawking at her. She gave them a sweet smile, placing her index finger next to her mouth. "I wonder why everyone's staring at me?" She asked, feigning stupidity.

Suddenly they weren't staring at her anymore. They were charging her.

"Akane, you look smoking!"

"Will you please date me, Akane?"

"You look ten times prettier today!"

"Is that Akane?"

"Will you sleep with me if I ask really, really, nicely?"

Her face went red, but not because of the reasons they thought. Even though it was because of her fury, she masked it as embarrassment and smiled at the boys kindly. "I'm free tonight, so the dating is a yes. As for sleeping with me...," she allowed her sentence to trail, enticing the boys further as her voice became low and seductive. "Only if we're married, 'kay?"

Suddenly boys were dropping all over the place, muttering prayers that were inaudible to her. She felt sick to her stomach acting like Shampoo, but she realized that anything was necessary to achieve her goal. She wondered where Ranma was, hoping he was getting the entire view of what was going on. She caught him elbowing his way toward her, shoving his daydreaming classmates to the side angrily. When he was finally at the center, he glared intensely at her.

"What the hell are–" he began.

"That's the bell, guys," she announced, her voice filled with false misery. "I'll see you all at lunch!"

She linked arms with Sayuri and Yuka, ignoring Ranma's existence once again. His lips parted as though he was about to say something but the boys reformed their wide circle and blocked his view of her. Cries of good-byes and phone numbers were heard as she gave them one more wink to last them the day. She knew they were staring at her from behind, and it took all the strength she could muster not to heave a tree at them.

"Okay, Akane," Sayuri began, eyeing her suspiciously. "What in the world happened?"

"I tweaked my wardrobe," she replied, breaking off their linkage and twirling around to give them a better view. "What do you think?"

"You look gorgeous," Yuka answered for the both of them. "Just not like yourself."

She bit her lip, not wanting her two closest friends to perceive her wrongly. But, she also wanted to keep her private little victory... private. She fixed her gaze on her feet as they led her toward their classroom. She finally realized that the only reason she befriended these girls in the first place was because they were trustworthy. She sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you everything." She informed them of Ranma and Shampoo's chat outside of her window last night, and how Ranma had treated her at the breakfast table. She told them about her plans on seeking revenge and when she was finally done, she smiled weakly. "What do you think?"

"We support you one-hundred percent!" They said in unison.

"R-Really?"

"Yup," Sayuri replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "We like Ranma, but we hate the way he treats you. I don't even know how you stayed with a guy like that for two years, Akane! I say you're beautiful, smart, athletic, and talented! Everyone at school knows that. Ranma's just too self-absorbed to even care about how you think! Right, Yuka?"

She nodded vigorously . "Absolutely! We want the best for you, and if Ranma can't give you that, then it's his loss! If you ask me, Ukyo and Shampoo only want him for all of the wrong reasons! You always care too much about everyone else other than yourself, Akane. You go and show him what you're made of!"

Akane smiled at her friends, glad she chose to confide in them. "Thanks, guys. I intend to do just that."

**-XxX-**

Ranma glared at Akane when she entered, but she didn't seem to notice or pretended not to as she made her way to her seat. Much to his dismay, eyes were crawling all over her body and she didn't even seem to care at all. The whole thing was absurd; how could she not be shouting and throwing large objects at them? He spent extra time outside of class torturing the lustful boys who were gazing at **his **fiancée in a way he wasn't so happy about. But even then the boys rose in crowds, chasing the scent of Akane's perfume.

Even his somewhat friends Hiroshi and Daisuke were watching Akane with romantic sighs and hopeful gazes. He wanted to vomit. Wait, he actually wanted to vomit on Akane's dress so everyone would avoid her rather than fall all over her like wasted drunkards. Alright, now he was a little more bothered by Daisuke's exchange of smiles between Akane.

"Yo, Daisuke."

"Oh, Ranma," Daisuke said, peering at him as if he forgot about his existence. "What's up?"

Ranma frowned. "You can't honestly be interested in that uncute girl, right?" He asked, masking his curiosity through sarcasm and insults. "Everyone has been fighting over her like she has the cure to Jusendo or something. At least I know some people are normal... like you."

Daisuke shrugged. "Akane's cute, sweet, and fun. But, most importantly, she's available."

His eyes narrowed. "Who told you she's free?"

"You mean she didn't tell you that the engagement was over? If it makes you feel any better, I'll wait two weeks before actually asking her on a date. Look on the bright side, now you finally have time for Shampoo and Ukyo."

Ranma was about to shoot back a witty comment to mend his shattered ego, but Daisuke quickly turned back to his desk because of the death glare Ms. Hinako was sending toward him. He couldn't believe the fact that Akane ended their engagement and didn't decide to mention it! He heard her briefly mutter something at the dinner table, but he was too groggy to think she was being honest. He just thought she was just babbling as she always did whenever their engagement was spoken of.

So, _that _was it. Akane was changing her appearance to welcome this new time where she was untangled from him and, by the looks of it, was enjoying every minute of it. He glanced at her, observing her fraternize with students she barely acknowledged on normal days and scowled. If she thought for a moment he was going to allow all of these perverts to as so much lay a finger on her, she was wrong. Obviously she didn't notice that he was the good guy, and he was just simply going to have to tell her one way or another.

He stood, slamming his palms on his desk, causing the class to turn their attention to the distraction. "Akane," he said in a low, calm voice, "I want you to stop acting like an idiot!"

The blue-haired plastered a heartbroken expression despite her hidden desire to strangle him. She honestly didn't have to respond since the class rose in uproar from Ranma's insult. Even some girls stood, piercing Ranma with daggers and icy glares alike.

"Why don't you leave her alone," one girl shouted at him. "Here she is being so sweet to everyone, and you have to ruin it by insulting her! Maybe Akane's temper isn't the problem, Ranma... maybe it's you."

"Yeah, what'd she ever do to you?" Another girl spat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If you keep bothering her, then we'll have to do something about it." Warned a boy, this time.

"How is she an idiot and have better grades than you?"

The comments came rolling in, one after the other and Akane felt a tiny smile on her lips. Now, Ranma understood what it was like whenever she was getting cornered by his fiancées and he only made the situation worse with his negativity. After a few more seconds of amusing insults being tossed at Ranma, she intervened. "Come on, everyone," she said, successfully gaining their attention. "I just think we should forget about Ranma. School is almost over, and Misaki is throwing a huge party tonight at her place! Who's in?"

The class cheered, once again forgetting Ranma's existence as the bell rang signaling the end of class. Ms. Hinako could barely assign her class any homework as they all bolted out the door. Ranma gather what little items he had prepared for school and ambled out of the doorway.

… _Forget about me?_

**-XxX-**

"See you tonight!" Akane waved at the last of her friends, never being so happy to be home and away from school. "I'm home!" She screamed perfunctorily, slipping off her shoes and tossing it to the side.

"Akane," her father called. "Please, come here."

At first she was shocked at the fierceness in her father's voice, so she calmly followed his voice and found him sitting at the table alongside Genma. He motioned her to sit across from him, so she silently did, knowing all to well what this conversation was going to be about. Soun continued to stare intensely at her until she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Suddenly she wished she didn't look like such a girl and was dressed in her Gi, looking tough for her father.

"So," she began, "what's all of this about?"

He cleared his throat, his face expression relentless. Then, after a few moments of silence, he bursted into tears and latched on to his precious daughter. "A-Akane! Please, reconsider your decision to end the engagement between yourself and Ranma! Do it for your father, Akane! Imagine all of the work I put into this engagement!"

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean it took all of that work to just call Mr. Saotome and say, 'Hm, I feel like engaging one of my daughters to your son today'?"

His tears began flowing freely and shamelessly, as he clung on to his daughter for dear life. "Please, Akane!"

"Do it for your old man, Akane" Genma's sign read.

"I'm not ending the engagement, dad," his head shot up and he peered hopefully through his blurry eyes. "I'm just dating to touch around the field. I won't know if I'm happy or not with Ranma if all I know in life is being around Ranma."

She was surprised to find him standing there at the doorway but wore her bored expression grammy-worthy as she brushed pass him, wondering where in the world she got this courage.

**-XxX-**

She descended down the stairs, halting in front of a mirror. She began doubting herself again, wondering if she had enough energy to put into her facade. Misaki's party was bound to be a long one, and she wasn't sure she was up for it. She felt so much like Shampoo, wearing a white motown shirt that fell to her upper thighs, the embroidery on her chest giving the shirt its pizzazz. In her right hand was a clutch to finish off the outfit.

Fortunately for her, she didn't wear much makeup except a bit of mascara and eyeshadow with a touch of lip gloss. Her hair was in lazy curls, so she simply pinned two strands to the back of her hair and allowed her bangs to just hang out freely. Sighing, she began slipping on her flats before a certain _someone _stopped her.

"You're not actually going to the party, right?"

"Of course I am," she smiled. "Aren't you? Everyone's invited."

In truth, Ranma had never received an invitation, and after insulting Misaki because of one of her rude comments to defend Akane, he wasn't expecting one. "Everyone knows Misaki's parties are out of control, and who knows what'll happen to a weak defenseless girl like you?"

"I'm _not_–" she froze, stopping her routinely comebacks to Ranma before she was exposed. "I'm not going to get into any trouble," she walked over to Ranma and smiled, resting her hand in his. "Thanks for caring though."

He blushed, laughing sheepishly. "Y-You're welcome, 'K-Kane."

"If I'm not home by three, can you cover for me?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." He responded, still not recovering from her touch.

"Bye, Ranma."

She waved and exited the house, hoping Ranma would end up deciding to come to the party. If something interesting happened, or a cute boy was coming on to her, Ranma needed to be there. Or, maybe then news would get back to him. She bit her lip, hearing about it was not as exciting as seeing it for yourself. Besides, what if he didn't believe it?

She re-entered the house, calling Ranma's name. He appeared, holding a bag of potato chips. "You should come to the party. It'll be fun," he frowned, obviously not too fond of the idea. "All of our friends will be there..." She tried, hoping to entice him a little.

"Mostly your friends."

"How about you just come for me, then?" She saw his expression change to surprised and somewhat pleased. So, maybe she was good at getting guys to do things for her? "Not with me, of course, though. I don't want people to think I'm unavailable or scare all of the cute guys away."

"**Nobody** is available for **anybody**."

"Trust me, you won't be paying attention with all of the cute girls around," he didn't seem to interested in that, so she decided to trick him into going. "Oh, guess you'll just be happy modeling underwear for Happosai. Today is one of his good days."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

**-XxX-**

"You look so cute!" Misaki cried, looping Akane into a hug. "This is the first time you've been to my house in ages!"

"You too!" Akane replied exaggeratedly, trying too hard to imitate Sayuri and Yuka's conversation. "We definitely have to go shopping some time!"

It was true, though. Misaki did look exceptionally pretty today. Her brown waist-length hair flowed wavily down her back, and she was wearing a black strapless dress that fell down above her knees. "Shall I give you a tour?"

Akane smiled and nodded, allowing Misaki to give her the grand tour of her house. It's true, she hasn't been to Misaki's house since junior high since that was when she started hanging out with the wrong crowd. Rumors of getting high after class and gambling her life away lost Misaki many friends. She personally liked Misaki, but after a few temptations of a few awful substances, Akane kept her distance. Although, now she is getting her life on point, and trying to pick her grades up, Akane didn't see why she couldn't try to mend their relationship.

"This is the living room."

"I remember everything in this house, Misaki." She laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulder. How could she forget the football field-sized living room with portraits of Van Gogh hung everywhere.

"Alrighty, then," Misaki laughed. "Enjoy yourself!"

She walked off, and Akane glanced around the room for someone she knew. She blushed and glanced away as she saw a couple– or complete strangers – were making out on the wall. It was only moments after she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Ranma, wearing his white Chinese shirt which she has only ever seen him wear once. "You made it."

"I–"

"Well, if today isn't my lucky day," interrupted a stranger, smiling at Akane. "I walk into a palace and meet a princess."

"Or, walked into hell and saw a devil." Ranma replied angrily, protectively stepping in front of her.

"I like the first one better." Akane giggled, accepting the stranger's hand. "Unfortunately, my name is Akane and not cinderella."

"Is this your boyfriend?"

Ranma scoffed. "Yeah right. Like I would date someone like her."

"He's right, we're nothing to each other."

"Great news for me. My name's Akiko. Do you want to go somewhere?"

_Do you know I hate people like you? _Akane asked him mentally, but instead smiled her response, hating to admit that the stranger was sorta cute. He had green eyes, and didn't at all appear as though he practiced martial arts since his frame was slim. His blond wavy hair fell over his forehead, and his smile was seductive. "I would love to get away."

Ranma growled. "You're not going anywhere with this guy, Akane. It's so obvious there is only one thing on his mind."

"Stop interfering!" She snapped at him. "You just said you would never date someone like me, so why do you even care about who I date? Just leave us alone."

"Leave _you _alone? I'm just trying to protect you from this pervert, since you're failing to at your own job. But, if you really want him that bad, fine. I'm out of here."

Ranma stomped off, and Akane glanced back at Akiko and plastered on a forced smile. "He's finally gone, let's go!"

He led her away, and Akane pretended to listen to his stories but her mind kept drifting back to Ranma wondering if he really left her with this pervert. She finally tuned back into her surroundings when she found herself inside... Misaki's bedroom? She glanced at Akiko who was grinning at her. "Why are you smiling like that?"

He reached for her hand and she reluctantly accepted. "What are we–"

Her sentence was cut off by his lips, and she felt his arm wrap around her waist as he pulled her close. She pushed him back, and he fell on Misaki's bed, his expression filled with pleasure. "You move fast, don't you?"

She blushed, embarrassed at his statement and furious at his actions. "I'm not planning on doing _that _before marriage."

"Kissing?" He joked.

"Sex." She replied fiercely, dropping her facade for a moment as she grabbed him by his shirt. "And don't you ever touch me like that again. You... pervert!" She fumed, throwing him out of the window as his went crashing through. She enjoyed that one moment of being herself before walking out, temporarily replaced by the other Akane.

She walked downstairs, and found Ranma sitting on the couch looking lost in thought. She approached him, seating herself next to him. "What's up?"

He shrugged. "Making fun of how people dance."

"Oh, as if you can dance any better."

"Of course I can!" He responded defensively, reaching for her hand. "I can... um, prove it to you, if you want."

"O-Okay." She grabbed his hand as he led her to the dance floor. "Prove it!"

So, instead of hanging out with other boys and trying to make Ranma jealous, she spent the whole night dancing with him and laughing the night away. Unaware to her, she had dropped the facade as she watched Ranma attempt to do the Macarena.She couldn't dance any better, she had to admit, but not many of the dancers there were very skilled.

"Wanna dance with me?" Asked a boy.

"Sure..."

But her eyes never left Ranma.

**-XxX-**

A/N: It has been a whole YEAR SINCE I HAVE UPDATED THIS STORY. Holy turd. But, here I am with another chapter! (And hopefully more to come).

I know you guys might think Akane shouldn't have spent any time with Ranma, but whenever someone is trying to be someone else they sometimes slip and show a little of their true personality. Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT of things coming up for Ranma and Akane, so don't expect anything fluffy between them for awhile. D: Sorry, Ranma!

Please review and tell me what you think!


End file.
